Dear Y-Option Community,

We’re excited to bring you the first bonus podcast of the season. In this insightful conversation for paid subscribers only, we dive into the recently proposed changes surrounding the transfer portal and the college football calendar—topics that are sure to impact the future of the sport.

In the episode, we explore:

* How the new tra…

The CFP National Championship Game is a few days away and Big Ten expert Anthony Herron joins Y-Option, thanks to our founding partner 76, to dive into the key matchups in the Notre Dame vs. Ohio State game.

A long-time friend, Anthony has such a unique lens on the game, covering high school all-star games, college football and the NFL for his hometown Chicago Bears. Fortunately, I’ve been able to call him a colleague for the better part of the last decade, first at the Pac-12 Network and now at the Big Ten Network.

Anthony and I also explore the current recruiting landscape, as Anthony is the lead analyst for the All-American Bowl on NBC and has seen student-athletes become businessmen as well during this transactional era of college football. It’s fascinating insight from someone who is a true expert on all things football.

Jim Thornby and I also dive into the coaching matchup with Ryan Day and Marcus Freeman, as well as our predictions for the game.

I’ll be in Chicago on Monday, covering the game for the Big Ten Network from the studio so be sure to follow along on social media for insight and opinions from the finale of this brilliant season!

Much love,

Yogi

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

There are many experts offering insight into the National Championship game with Notre Dame facing Ohio State on Monday, January 20th. Among them all, one person stands out.

Meet Gerry DiNardo, a former Notre Dame All-American & 1973 National Champion, now a long-time analyst at the Big Ten Network. I call him “Coach” as his vibe, presence and commentary continues to reflect the role he had as the head coach at Vanderbilt, LSU, and Indiana. He joined us on Y-Option, thanks to our founding partner 76, to discuss what made his time in South Bend so powerful under the legendary Ara Parseghian as well as why the loss to Michigan might be the reason that Ohio State is 60 minutes away from hoisting the national championship trophy.

We also reflect on his time with Bill McCartney at Colorado, having been on his staff for 9 seasons. Coach DiNardo will have you laughing and learning as he shares poignant and vivid stories as a Buff.

In addition, Jim Thornby and I reflect on the semifinals and the duality of being at the Cotton Bowl while my mind was with those in Los Angeles.

As always, if you’d like to help those impacted by the raging fires visit this link:

(https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-08/how-to-help-victims-of-pacific-palisades-eaton-and-hurst-fires)

Much love and please stay safe,

Yogi

This episode was executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The CFP semifinals are upon us!

Thanks to our founding partner 76, Elite 11 President and close friend Brian Stumpf joins the show to take a deep dive into the quarterback position among the four teams remaining in the College Football Playoff. His recall into what Quinn Ewers, Will Howard, Riley Leonard and Drew Allar were in high school is fascinating, as each of their journeys are incredibly unique. We dove into the instant stardom that Ewers received the summer heading into his senior year at the Elite 11 and the path of Will Howard, who was in the same QB class as former Buckeye great CJ Stroud. Think about that for a moment!

We also dive into Brian’s lens on being a general manager in college football. If I was a team president or head coach, Brian would be my first call as his evaluation, relationships and character traits are as good as I’ve ever come across.

Jim Thornby and I also explore the state of the game in a wide ranging conversation around the professionalization of college football, private equity and officiating.

We also give our keys to the two semifinal games, as I’m in Dallas covering the Cotton Bowl for the Big Ten Network all week.

Most importantly, we want to send our love and support to everyone in Southern California who is navigating the wildfires that have impacted thousands of homes and families.

Much love to all and hope this show and the upcoming playoff games can offer a little reprieve during this challenging time in Los Angeles.

Yogi

This episode was executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production

Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

LIVE from Rose Bowl Media Day, Ashley Adamson of the Big Ten Network joins the show to offer her insight into the all-Big Ten Quarterfinal matchup of Ohio State and Oregon.

Thanks to our founding partner 76 - fresh off of the BTN set, Ashley and I offer our immediate takeaways, what we read between the lines during our interviews and our biggest takeaway in advance of the rematch of what I think are the nation's top two teams.

Jim Thornby and I have a spirited conversation about quarterbacks participating in bowl games as the decision around Cam Ward sitting in the 2nd half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl continues to be a point of discussion around the country.

We also offer a preview of the other three CFP quarterfinal games where stakes are high and it seems like most around the nation are not giving conference champions Boise State or Arizona State much of a chance. For ASU and Texas, the game will provide some of the best playcallers on both sides of the ball in the game and for Boise State, this one will come down to their passing game and unforced errors.

In addition, we want to wish all of you a Happy New Year! It’s been a wild year for us at Y-Option and we can hope each of you take time to reflect on the year with loved ones and fans of the game we all love.

I’ll be at the Rose Bowl on New Years Day, being a part of my 18th Rose Bowl overall and first on the Big Ten Network. I must say, I sense the same excitement in advance of this one as I did in the first one I went to in 2003. And amid so many changes in college football, I hope you are leaning into the joys of the game we all love.

Happy New Year!

Yogi

Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The first round of the inaugural expanded College Football Playoff has come and gone. There are countless opinions, but I think we can all agree that this new format was a massive win for the sport we all love.

Another thing in sports that we love is taking the helmet off of players and getting to know them.

I’ve been around Dillon Gabriel since June at the Elite 11 Finals and as I’ve said many times, his It Factor is as high as any quarterback I’ve ever been around in my career.

How was that cultivated? Where did that come from? Well, we went straight to the source and welcomed his mother, Dori Gabriel, to Y-Option in our Holiday episode, thanks to our founding partner 76.

From Hawaii to our studio, she shared what the kitchen table was like in her home, how her and her husband Garrett (a former QB at Hawai’i himself) guided Dillon, her thoughts on #VanLife, her experience in NYC at the Heisman and how the Oregon Duck community has impacted her family in powerful ways.

It’s a powerful episode as so many parents are seeking wisdom while guiding their children as athletes in this new world of athletics in youth sports, high school and college athletics. As a parent of two young boys, I easily took away principles I’ll share with our kids and hope they get to meet the Gabriel family at the Rose Bowl on New Years Day.

Before we get to the quarterfinals let’s look back on the CFP from the lens of the West Coast as a few things also stood out:

* It looked cold in those games! I almost wished it was snowing to make the temperature look even more unique.

* The home crowds had an impact and kept the pageantry in bowl season, which all too often feels corporate. I’d vote for the quarterfinals to be home games too. More on that in today’s podcast.

* Ohio State played their best game of the season. They drilled Tennessee on the field, but I was more interested in what went on off the field since their game against Michigan. I said before the game that this team MUST play free and let it rip and they did exactly that. The Buckeyes looked loose, aggressive, and not concerned about living up to their or anyone else's expectations and for the first time this year looked the part of legit national title contenders.

* Speaking of the Natty, among the winners over the weekend, I could see all four of them in the final game of this season.

We will be sure to dive into all of that in advance of New Years Eve but in the meantime, be sure to enjoy your holiday season and our conversation with Dori Gabriel.

Much love,

Yogi

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production

With the inaugural 12-team CFP set to kickoff Friday night in South Bend, Indiana, we welcome Notre Dame alum and the voice of the L.A. Rams, J.B. Long, to the show with thanks to our founding partner 76.

J.B. called games this fall in the Pac-12, Mountain West and the NFL. His lens on the new look playoff, the current reality of college football and his insights on Washington State have tremendous depth and breath.

One of my dearest friends and one of the most talented voices in sports, J.B. brings a lens that is truly one of one.

We also dive into stories from South Bend - his as a student and broadcaster & mine as a player and coach, that neither of us have ever shared and you might get a laugh or two from them.

Jim Thornby and I also offer a conversation on the state of the Cougs, the transfer portal, how colleges are building out their NIL “matrix” and the slate of playoff games this weekend that are giving us some historical matchups.

Enjoy this weekend and be sure to follow along as I’ll be tracking each game in real time on Threads!

Much love,

Yogi

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production

Travis Hunter wins the Heisman Trophy and we have an Immediate Reaction podcast from New York City plus hear from each of the other 3 Heisman finalists in advance of the big event.

Join myself and Jim Thornby as we break down the Heisman from all angles, including:

* My experience at the actual event for the first time.

* The resurgence of West Coast players on the grandest stage in back to back years.

* A detailed dive into what it’s like to cover a Heisman.

* Travis Hunter’s emotional speech.

* Our award winners (spoiler, they don’t wear a helmet).

Also, be sure to check out this week’s Empty the Call Sheet as I share how Larry Fitzgerald coming in second impacted my lens on the Heisman forever.

Much love,

Yogi

This episode was executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production

What is going on in recruiting right now?!

This year the portal is seeing big name players who I would have never imagined entering and now exploring new homes in college football.

Before creating our own opinions here at Y-Option we had to talk to the expert of all things recruiting, Brandon Huffman, who joined the podcast thanks to our founding partner 76.

Brandon is the National Recruiting Editor for 247Sports and one of the most genuine and talented humans I know. He has joined this show every year for quite some time to share his insights into the Early Signing Period, recruiting and the future of college football.

This episode is a little different.

We spent 80% of the time talking about the new-look portal, agents and some guidance on how to navigate it all. We also gained expertise around the Ducks, Trojans, Bruins, Huskies and more West Coast teams as the Early Signing Period was last week and Portal Palooza is in full effect.

While Brandon’s insights are golden, how he continues to inspire the sporting community with the Avery Huffman DIPG Foundation, in honor of his daughter Avery, is incredibly powerful. It was established in 2016 and grows stronger by the day.

While we all are extremely busy during this time of the year please take a moment to learn more about Avery’s story, and how the Huffman family continues to impact people across the globe through this foundation. Please visit averystrongdipg.org and spread the word about Avery and how she continues to live on in so many beautiful ways.

#AveryStrong

Much love,

Yogi

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production

The CFP bracket is set.

Some are thrilled, some are frustrated and a few are still politicking. Those of us on the West Coast are pretty happy, and rightfully so with Oregon, ASU and Boise State all receiving first round byes.

The Heisman finalists are also set and prior to departing for NYC, we had 1997 Heisman Trophy finalist Ryan Leaf join Y-Option, thanks to our founding partner 76. We dove into his first trip to The City That Never Sleeps while also learning about his post-event celebration that included his father singing alongside some of college football’s all-time greats as the sun was rising.

He also shared his intimate thoughts on perspective, as last week was the 10-year anniversary of him walking out of prison.

The CW Sports college football analyst detailed his 2024 season in the booth with Y-Option alums Ted Robinson and Nigel Burton, as this trio called the Washington State at Oregon State game a few weeks ago.

Jim Thornby and I take a look back on Championship Weekend, as both of us were in Indy for the Big Ten Championship game and look forward to the bracket that is top heavy with West Coast teams.

Hope all of you get a chance to exhale for a day or two as this has been a season to remember on so many levels.

Much love,

Yogi

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.